Envisioning a biodiversity science for sustaining human well-being

Bawa, Kamaljit S.; Nawn, Nandan; Chellam, Ravi; Krishnaswamy, Jagdish; Mathur, Vinod B.; Olsson, Shannon B.; Pandit, Nitin; Rajagopal, Prabhakar; Sankaran, Mahesh; Shaanker, R. Uma; Shankar, Darshan; Ramakrishnan, Uma; Vanak, Abi Tamim; Quader, Suhel

doi:10.1073/pnas.2018436117

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…We continue to urge international collaborations because they are highly valuable for conservation efforts. However, researchers from outside countries need to involve scientists who are geographically matched to the area where the species in need of conservation occurs in order to ensure that science being conducted is relevant to the conservation planning processes 27 – 29 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Criteria for an umbrella species are rarity and sensitivity to human disturbance, which are identical to characteristics used for critically endangered species in this study 31 . Gaining support for critically endangered species will remain challenging because environmental issues often rank behind other problems faced by the public, such as the economy and health care, despite the growing public concern about the environment 29 , 35 . Funding is the limiting factor that prevents more research on critically endangered fishes and is most likely the cause of the dichotomy between science productivity for game fishes and critically endangered fishes observed in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A paradoxical knowledge gap in science for critically endangered fishes and game fishes during the sixth mass extinction

Guy

Cox

Williams

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Despite unprecedented scientific productivity, Earth is undergoing a sixth mass extinction. The disconnect between scientific output and species conservation may be related to scientists studying the wrong species. Given fishes have a high extinction rate, we assessed the paradox between scientific productivity and science needed for conservation by comparing scientific output created for critically endangered fishes and game fishes. We searched 197,866 articles (1964–2018) in 112 journals for articles on 460 critically endangered fishes, 297 game fishes, and 35 fishes classified as critically endangered and game fish—our analysis included freshwater and marine species. Only 3% of the articles in the final database were on critically endangered fishes; 82% of critically endangered fishes had zero articles. The difference between the number of articles on game fishes and critically endangered fishes increased temporally with more articles on game fishes during the extinction crisis. Countries with 10 or more critically endangered fishes averaged only 17 articles from 1964 to 2018. Countries with the most critically endangered fishes are most in need of science. More scientific knowledge is needed on critically endangered fishes to meet the challenges of conserving fishes during the sixth mass extinction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A paradoxical knowledge gap in science for critically endangered fishes and game fishes during the sixth mass extinction

Guy

Cox

Williams

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…This habitat loss is the key driver of loss of biodiversity, climate change, rural unemployment, and food insecurity (Díaz et al 2006). Most of the forest ecosystems in India either protected or outside are degraded and are facing great challenges of biodiversity loss through biological invasion, human pressure, and unsustainable felling (Pandey 2008; Bawa et al 2020). This ecosystem degradation is further accelerating degradation of natural ecosystems through greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss (Bellard et al 2012; O'Neill et al 2017).…”

Section: Ecological Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation the ultimate goal and the best long‐term investment, India through its policy frameworks can substantially contribute in achieving socio‐economic and ecological sustainability (see Fig. 1; Fischer et al 2020; Bawa et al 2020). For example, through the MGNREGA program, jobs to jobless migrated laborers or otherwise rural laborers should be provided to develop different agroforestry systems, social forests, wetlands, rural botanic gardens, eco‐restoration‐based business models, etc., on degraded lands.…”

Section: Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem restoration: challenges and opportunities for India

Singh

Tewari

2021

Restoration Ecology

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Ninety-six million hectares of degraded land, unprecedented loss of biodiversity, and extreme climatic events are the key ecological challenges for India. Offering livelihood opportunities to millions of workers who migrated to their villages and recovery from economic crisis due to covid-19 pandemic have emerged as the biggest socioeconomic challenges for the country. A framework of different policies and strategies are in place to overcome these ecological and socioeconomic challenges. But they are loosely interconnected with independent aims and involvement of different governments' institutions and departments. This article, therefore, here briefs challenges and shows how aiming at ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation through these policies can provide a cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable way for India to overcome its ecological and socioeconomic challenges.

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“…Currently, most surveillance in many low-and middle-income countries occurs is in isolation, with limited data-sharing and lack of integrated responses during outbreaks (Chatterjee et al 2016). Thus, wide-scale changes in this area are urgently needed, for example, recent policy recommendations in India (National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-being), which aim to work towards a healthier and more sustainable way of life, for people and nature (Bawa et al 2020).…”

Section: Conclusion and The Way Aheadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia

Mishra

Samelius²,

Khanyari

et al. 2021

Ambio

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The cold and arid mountains and plateaus of High Asia, inhabited by a relatively sparse human population, a high density of livestock, and wildlife such as the iconic snow leopard Panthera uncia, are usually considered low risk for disease outbreaks. However, based on current knowledge about drivers of disease emergence, we show that High Asia is rapidly developing conditions that favor increased emergence of infectious diseases and zoonoses. This is because of the existing prevalence of potentially serious pathogens in the system; intensifying environmental degradation; rapid changes in local ecological, socio-ecological, and socio-economic factors; and global risk intensifiers such as climate change and globalization. To better understand and manage the risks posed by diseases to humans, livestock, and wildlife, there is an urgent need for establishing a disease surveillance system and improving human and animal health care. Public health must be integrated with conservation programs, more ecologically sustainable development efforts and long-term disease surveillance.

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Envisioning a biodiversity science for sustaining human well-being

Cited by 33 publications

References 9 publications

A paradoxical knowledge gap in science for critically endangered fishes and game fishes during the sixth mass extinction

A paradoxical knowledge gap in science for critically endangered fishes and game fishes during the sixth mass extinction

Ecosystem restoration: challenges and opportunities for India

Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia

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